Traffic signal



Nov. 7, 1950 E. A. LIEUTARD 2,528,962

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed April' 27, y 1949 Patented Nov. 7, 1950UNITEDSTATES ,PATEIWorifice Emile A. Lieutara, san Francisco, Calif.

Application April 27, 1949, Serial No'. 89,889

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in traffic signals and hasparticular reference tovan eye-high mobile signal.

The principal object of 'this inventionV is to y provide a signal unitwhich may be transported from place to pla-ce for use in directinghighway traflic, particularly wheredetours or other obstaclesnecessitate the normal flow of traiiic being diverted to one side or theother of the normal traiiic flow in the area.

A further object is to provide means whereby the signal may indicate toa driver of the oncoming vehicle exactly the condition which isprevailing ahead, so that the driver .of the vehicle approaching thesignal Will have time to execute the proper maneuver.

A still further object is to provide means for activating the signal sothat it will attract the eye.

A still further object is to provide a signal which is of sturdyconstruction and one which is so positioned that it may be seen abovethe tops of automobiles which may be proceeding, one behind the other.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my signal,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing my signal, as the same would appearin use.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Many traic accidents, particularly rear-end collisions, are caused byhighway construction work or other traic hazards which are onlytemporary and which must be avoided by vehicles travelling over thehighway. Ordinarily, these traic hazards are blocked off by a saw horse,on which is positioned a sign, Detoun This type of blockade is so lowthat it is invisible to one car behind another and, therefore, when therst car approaches the barricade, sudden application of the brakescauses the car behind to become involved in a rear-end collision. Thistype of accident often results in quite a procession of cars becominginvolved in the accident, with the resultant damage to the cars, as wellas bodily harm.

Applicant has, therefore, devised a signal which may be placed upon ahighway and moved from place to place, which signal will have aplurality of semaphore-like arms which are activated by a wig-Wagsignal, thereby attracting attention, these'wig-Wag arms being elevatedto a point where they will be .Visible to all of thecars in the line oftraiiic so that each driver will have equal opportunity and will beforewarned' that he must slow down, as a traic hazard is being engagingpins 8, which are normally retracted by springs 9, and which have theirupper ends bearing against cams I I, actuated byv a handle I2. Thisengagement enables the entire device to be wheeled to any desiredposition and then locked against further movement.

Mounted upon the base 5, is a plurality of spaced tubular standards, asshown at I3 and I4.

A battery box is shown at I6.

Within the standards I3 and I4, are positioned reflectors Il, which willfunction, should, for anyv reason, the electrical equipment fail.

The upper end of the standards I 3 and I4 serve to support divergingtrays I8 and I9, in which are stored a plurality of semaphore arms 2|and 22 respectively. These arms are all carried upon a common pivot 25.

Extending upwardly from the apex formed by the trays is a standard 23,upon which is pivoted an arm 24 having an illuminated signal 26, -uponvits upper end. The pivotal point of this arm is shown at 21.

Ears 28 and 29 are formed upon the opposite sides of the arm 24, andthrough the medium of these ears, links 3| and 32 may be engaged withears 33 and 34, formed upon the semaphore arms 2| and 22 respectively.

A diamond-shaped case 36 forms a suitable housing for any desired typeof driving gear for actuating the arm 24, and the connected semaphorearms 2| and 22, the type of drive being immaterial to my invention.

When a signal is constructed in accordance with my invention, the samevmay be wheeled on to location and then, by actuating the lever |2 andcam I I, the pins 8 may be forced downwardly to take the load of thewhole device 01T of the wheels 6 and 1.

By now turning on the current which may be furnished by cable or whichmay be from batradius from the pivotal point 21, to the ears 28 or 29,it will be observed that, as the arm 24- oscillates, the movementtransmittedv to the arms Will be relatively less and, consequently, thearms 2| and 22, while moving in thesame sequence, will move at a slowerspeed than the arm 24; Therefore, any matter printed on the arms can beeasily read, even though the arms are moving. By unhooking the link 3lor the link 32, any one of the arms within1the trays may be selected toconform with the information that is to be conveyed to the driver of theapproaching vehicle. J'It will thus beseen that my signal willaccomplish all the objects above set forth. 1 It is to be understoodthat the formV of my invention herewith shown and described is to betaken as a preferred example of the same and that various changesrelative to the material, size,

shapey and arrangement of parts may be resortedY towithout departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the' scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: l. Ina traffic signal, abase, supports extend-Y ing upwardly from said base at each sidekthereof, trays each havinga lower end supported by the supports at arespectiveside of the, base, said trays extending converginglyrupwardsto a common apex, a shaft extending transversely of said traysat theconvergent ends thereof, a series of 4 semaphore signal arms in eachtray and having their upper ends pivoted on said shaft, said arms eachhaving a specic signal indication impressed thereon for indicatingdifferent signals upon selective exposure of said arms, spaced standardsextending upwardly from the apicial junction of said trays, anoscillatory' arm pivoted at its lower end between said standards andextending upwardly therefrom, links pivoted'each'at one end .to arespective side of said Voscillating arm, and

coacting means on said semaphore arms and the remaining ends of saidlink selectively connecting a semaphore arm from eachtray with arespective link.

2. In a .traffic signal, a base, supports extending upwardly from saidbase at each side thereof,

rtrays each having' a lower end supported by the supports at arespective side of the base, said trays extending convergnglyA upwardsto a common apex, a shaft extending transversely of saidtrays at theconvergent endsthereof, a seriesof sem-aphore signal arms in each'trayand ,having their upper ends pivoted on said shaft, said arms-eachhaving, aspecific signal indication impressed thereon for' indicatingdifferent'signals upon selectivel exposure of saidY arms, and means toselectively support a semaphore arm from each tray land oscillatethe'supported arms through horizontally alined positions.

EMILE'A. LIEUTARDQ REFERENCES CTED The following references are ofrecord in the Vfile of this patent:

UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name V V Date 520,756 Davis May 29, 18941,651,221

OMa1ey' r r Nov, 29, 1927

